Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 21/7/59
Henry (1882-1971) and Ann (1884-1970) Brunnier
Papers, 1909-2001, n.d.


Descriptive summary

creator:

Brunnier, Henry (1882-1971) and Ann (1884-1970)

title:

Papers

dates:

1909-2001, n.d.

extent:

7.65 linear ft. (11 document boxes, 1 half-document box, and 2 oversized boxes)

collection number:

RS 21/7/59

repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research

publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department

preferred citation:

Henry and Ann Brunnier Papers, RS 21/7/59, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Henry John "Bru" Brunnier was born near Manning, Iowa on November 26, 1882. He received his B.S. (1904) in civil engineering from Iowa State College (University). After graduating from college Brunnier worked for the American Bridge Company (1904-1905) of Pittsburgh and then was hired by the New York Edison Company (1905-1906), New York City. Brunnier's next job was with Ford, Bacon and Davis Engineering Company (1906-1908) of New York City. He was sent to San Francisco as Structural Engineer to survey and lead reconstruction efforts for the company's railroad properties that had been damaged by the San Francisco earthquake.

After fulfilling his obligations with the engineering firm, Brunnier went into private practice as a consulting structural engineer (1908-1971). Brunnier quickly became a leader in earthquake-resistant structural design. He was responsible for the structural design of numerous large buildings and bridges along the west coast of the United States. One of his greatest honors was when he was appointed as one of five members of the Consulting Engineers' Board to engineer and approve structural designs for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge that opened in 1936.

Throughout his career, Brunnier was very active in a number of professional engineering organizations. He served as President of the California State Board of Registration for Civil Engineers (1929-1933), President of the Structural Engineers' Association of Northern California, President of the Pacific Association of Consulting Engineers, and was a member of several other professional organizations. Brunnier's related interest in highway engineering resulted in his service as Director (1928-1929) and Treasurer (1940-1944) of the California State Automobile Association (1928), Member of the Streets and Highway Committee of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and Director of the American Automobile Association (1945-1947).

Brunnier also spent considerable time in the service of Rotary International. In 1908, he was a charter member of the San Francisco Rotary Club, only the second Rotary club established worldwide. Brunnier served as Vice-President, District Governor, and President (1952-1953) of Rotary International as well as on numerous committees throughout his lifetime.

Ann Weideman was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1884 and she married Henry Brunnier in 1905. As one of the first women to attend Rotary conventions with her husband, she earned the nickname "Rotary Ann," a name that soon became synonymous with Rotary members' spouses. The Brunniers became interested in art and acquired many pieces of ceramic, glassware, enamelware, jade and ivory throughout their travels overseas. Ann also collected rare dolls from every country they visited. She was a member of the Golden Gate Collectors Club, the San Francisco Doll Club, the Stanford Art Society, and the Metropolitan Art Museum. In 1963, the Brunniers donated their art collection to Iowa State University. Their donation is now part of the permanent collection of the Brunnier Art Museum at Iowa State University.

Ann Brunnier died February 20, 1970 and Henry passed away December 10, 1971. They had been married 63 years. The Brunniers had only one son, Henry, Jr., who died in 1935 at the age of 28.

 

Collection description

This collection (1909-2001, n.d.) documents the lives of Henry and Ann Brunnier and includes biographical materials, correspondence, news clippings, photographs, published articles, and scrapbooks. The collection contains a large amount of information related to Mr. Brunnier's involvement in Rotary International.

The papers also include more personal materials, such as holiday cards sent from Henry to Ann as well as a set of calendar diaries chronicling Mr. Brunnier's activities.

 

 

Description of series

Series 1

Biographical and Personal Materials

1909-2001 n.d.

extent:

3.15 linear ft. (7.5 document boxes)

description:

This series contains biographical information about Henry and Ann Brunnier. Included are correspondence, news clippings, and published articles documenting Mr. Brunnier's life and work as a consulting structural engineer. There are also materials related to their travels and Ann's hobby of collecting dolls. A set of calendar diaries chronicles Brunnier's business and personal activities.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

14

1

Art Collection – Catalog Listing for a 5-Piece Garniture Set

1953

14

2

Art Collection – Museum Guides and Catalogs

1922-1953

1

1

Biographical Information (photographs: 2 5x7 b/w)

1916-2001, n.d.

1

2

Biographical Information – Articles

1928-1983

1

3

Biographical Information – News Clippings

1929-1982

1

4

Brunnier Art Gallery

1975-1983, n.d.

1

5

Calendar Diary

1909

1

6

Calendar Diary

1910

1

7

Calendar Diary

1911

1

8

Calendar Diary

1912

1

9

Calendar Diary

1913

1

10

Calendar Diary

1914

1

11

Calendar Diary

1915

1

12

Calendar Diary

1916

1

13

Calendar Diary

1917

1

14

Calendar Diary

1918

2

1

Calendar Diary

1919

2

2

Calendar Diary

1920

2

3

Calendar Diary

1921

2

4

Calendar Diary

1922

2

5

Calendar Diary

1923

2

6

Calendar Diary

1924

2

7

Calendar Diary

1925

2

8

Calendar Diary

1926

2

9

Calendar Diary

1927

2

10

Calendar Diary

1928

2

11

Calendar Diary

1929

2

12

Calendar Diary

1930

3

1

Calendar Diary

1931

3

2

Calendar Diary

1932

3

3

Calendar Diary

1933

3

4

Calendar Diary

1934

3

5

Calendar Diary

1935

3

6

Calendar Diary

1936

3

7

Calendar Diary

1937

3

8

Calendar Diary

1938

3

9

Calendar Diary

1939

4

1

Calendar Diary

1940

4

2

Calendar Diary

1941

4

3

Calendar Diary

1942

4

4

Calendar Diary

1943

4

5

Calendar Diary

1944

4

6

Calendar Diary

1945

4

7

Calendar Diary

1946

4

8

Calendar Diary

1947

4

9

Calendar Diary

1948

4

10

Calendar Diary

1949

5

1

Calendar Diary

1950

5

2

Calendar Diary

1951

5

3

Calendar Diary

1952

5

4

Calendar Diary

1953

5

5

Calendar Diary

1954

5

6

Calendar Diary

1955

5

7

Calendar Diary

1955

5

8

Calendar Diary

1956

5

9

Calendar Diary

1957

6

1

Calendar Diary

1958

6

2

Calendar Diary

1959

6

3

Calendar Diary

1960

6

4

Calendar Diary

1961

6

5

Calendar Diary

1962

6

6

Calendar Diary

1963

6

7

Calendar Diary

1964

6

8

Calendar Diary

1965

6

9

Calendar Diary

1966

6

10

Calendar Diary

1967

7

1

Calendar Diary

1968

7

2

Calendar Diary

1969

7

3

Calendar Diary

1970

7

4

Cards – Christmas

1934-1967, n.d.

7

5

Cards – Valentine's Day

1945-1968

7

6

Cards – Valentine's Day

n.d.

7

7

Cards – Valentine's Day

n.d.

7

8

Color Dictionary

1931

7

9

Correspondence – General

1914-1982

7

10

Dolls – Books and Articles

1950-1963, n.d.

12

 

Dolls – "Hats and Headdress Through the Ages" Oakland Bay Area Unit of the United Federation of Doll Clubs – Illustrations

n.d.

7

11

Dolls – Notes

n.d.

8

1

Honors and Awards

1941-1965

8

2

Language Notebook – French

n.d.

8

3

Language Notebook – Spanish

n.d.

8

4

Language Notebook – Spanish

n.d.

8

5

Notes – AAA and Rotary

1928-1948, n.d.

8

6

Notes – China

n.d.

12

 

Photograph Book of a Japanese Residence

n.d.

8

7

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge – Articles and Postcards

1936, n.d.

8

8

South America Travel Photos (photographs: 23 4x5 b/w)

n.d.

8

9

Technical-Economic Conference of Washington

1945

 

Description of series

Series 2

Rotary International

1914-1974 n.d.

extent:

4.29 linear ft. (3.5 document boxes, 2 oversize boxes)

description:

This series contains material related to Henry Brunnier's involvement in Rotary International including correspondence, speeches, photographs, and published articles. There are also three scrapbooks containing news clippings and photographs documenting Henry Brunnier's year as president of Rotary International.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

8

10

Articles by Brunnier

1934-1952

14

3

Book – Rotary in the Tavern of the Seas: A Short History of the Rotary Club of Cape Town

1953

8

11

Club Meeting Materials

1916-1922

8

12

Club Service

1954

8

13

Community Service

1947-1954

8

14

Convention Program

1953

8

15

Convention, S. S. Caronia Social

1921

8

16

Correspondence

1918

8

17

Correspondence

1918-1920

9

1

Correspondence

1923-1924

9

2

Correspondence

1923-1924

9

3

Correspondence

1943-1968

9

4

Correspondence – Europe

1921-1922

9

5

Correspondence – Hodel, F.

1952

9

6

Correspondence – Mulholland, Frank L.

1914-1915

9

7

Correspondence – Perry, Chesley R.

1918-1920

9

8

Correspondence – Perry, Chesley R.

1921-1922

9

9

Correspondence – San Francisco Club

1921-1922

9

10

District 104

1939-1946

9

11

History

1914-1965

9

12

History

1951-1964

10

1

Literature and Speeches

1918

10

2

Manning, Iowa, Rotary Club Charter Night (photographs: 3 5x7 b/w, 3 8x10 b/w)

1952

10

3

Notes by Brunnier

1946-1953

10

4

Photographs (photographs: 2 2x3 color, 3 3.5x5 color)

1951-1964, n.d.

10

5

Photographs (photographs: 6 3.5x5 b/w, 22 8x10 b/w, 1 2x3 b/w)

1937-1971, n.d.

10

6

Plenary Address, Rotary International Assembly

1953

10

7

Proposed Legislation

1921

10

8

Ribbon, Past Vice-President

n.d.

10

9

Rotary Ann

1963-1974

10

10

Scrapbook – Hyderabad, India Trip (photographs: 16 5x7 b/w)

1952

12

 

Scrapbook of Brunnier's Rotary International presidency: trips to New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, India, and Japan (photographs: 6 4x5 b/w, 27 5x7 b/w, 20 8x10 b/w, 3 4x5 color, 2 5x7 color)

1952-1953

13

 

Scrapbook of Brunnier's Rotary International presidency: trips in United States and to Canada (photographs: 39 4x5 b/w, 21 5x7 b/w, 24 8x10 b/w, 1 4x5 color)

1952-1953

13

 

Scrapbook of Brunnier's Rotary International presidency: trips to Great Britain, Ireland, France, and Germany (photographs: 20 4x5 b/w, 17 5x7 b/w, 24 8x10 b/w, 1 8x10 color)

1952-1953

13

 

Scrapbook, Visit to Singapore (photographs: 19 3.5x5.5 b/w, 1 5x5 b/w, 10 8x6 b/w, 6 3.5x5.5 color)

1952

10

11

Second Pacific Rotary Conference

1928

10

12

Service

1949-1951

11

1

Speech – District Meeting, part 1 (1 reel-to-reel audiotape)

ca. 1954

11

2

Speech – District Meeting, part 2 (1 reel-to-reel audiotape)

ca. 1954

11

3

Speech Data

1950-1952

11

4

Speeches

1935-1953

11

5

Speeches

1939-1953

11

6

Speeches and Writings

1952-1953, n.d.

11

7

Travel Diary

1950s

11

8

Travel Diary

1950s

11

9

Travel Diary

1952-1953

11

10

Vocational Service

1944-1960, n.d.